Section 10 - The Agricultural Revolution Flashcards
Where was the Agricultural Revolution?
Britain
When was the Agricultural Revolution?
From 1750 onwards.
What was the name of the farming system that was used before 1750?
The open field system.
How did the open field farming system work?
Each village was surrounded by 3 large open fields know as the commons. Animals (cattle) grazed on the commons while farmers farmed on thin strips of scattered land around them.
Give 3 disadvantages to the open field system.
1) Farmers had to do a lot of travelling from each strip of scattered land to the next.
2) Diseases and weeds spread quickly due to the fields not being enclosed.
3) One field had to be left fallow each year.
What was enclosure?
The big open fields were divided into compact farms, each enclosed by fences.
Give 2 advantages of enclosure over the open field system.
1) The compact farms were easier to farm than the scattered strips of land.
2) Weeds and diseases spread much slower due to the fences.
What effect did enclosure have on peasants?
Due to enclosure peasants were forced to migrate to cities in search of work. This was because the were not allocated land and their animals could no longer graze on the commons due to them being enclosed.
Who was Charles Townshend?
Charles “Turnip” Townshend invented a new system of crop rotation. Instead of leaving one field fallow, he planted it with turnips or clovers. These turnips or clovers were fed to cattle.
Who was Jethro Tull?
Jethro Tull invented a seed drill which sowed seeds in uniform and covered each with soil. It was much more effective than spreading seeds by hand.
Who was Robert Bakewell?
Bakewell realised that by only letting his cattle breed at certain times of the year he could get bigger, heavier and healthier cattle. This is known as selective breeding.
Give 3 results of the Agricultural Revolution.
1) Enclosed farms, a new system of crop rotation and improved cattle breeding led to farming being a much more profitable business.
2) With more food available, people lived longer so there was a population growth.
3) As poor peasants were forced off the land they went to cities in search of jobs, this contributed to the Industrial Revolution.
